United Front of Princesses
by ladyelainemalfoy
Summary: A friendship of sorts brought by mutual logic and respect. This is the tale where two rivaling houses finally met at the center and crossed the line of hate and love without damage. It was the friendship between two kingdoms.


**Hello there! Its my first one-shot ever and I've received good feedback on this from other site. It is really curious how you guys would think about it. I know this story is a little off, but I tried to be as in character as possible to both Hermione and Pansy. I really hope you like it. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything you recognize from the Harry Potter books written by JK Rowling. I do own the plot though. **

**Hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoy writing this one.**

The end of the war seemed so long ago and Pansy Parkinson found herself wanting for a new beginning as she entered the halls of Hogwarts for a privileged invitation to repeat her Seventh year. September first of every year didn't seem to be so enticing throughout the years with the exception of her first year. However, to break down tradition, Pansy's heart filled with different emotions from the basic bore, mix nerves and fright up to the overwhelming excitement. She was determined to hae her planned life changed. Maybe another year in Hogwarts could promise her that change.

Sitting at the large black couch in front of the fireplace at the Slytherin common room with a muggle romance book in hand, Pansy sighed. Since the start of school year, her emotional turmoil began to bring its level down. The students of Hogwarts were divided into three when it came to treating her. The first group was composed of those who hated her because she wanted hero Harry Potter to be taken to the Dark Lord, in simple words- most Gryffindors. The second group was at the extreme opposite of the first. They were the ones who treated her like a princess despite her family's involvement into the war. In short terms, those were the Slytherin who wanted the Parkinson's help to raise in the community while the Malfoys brought their family down in the societal ranks. The last faction was the gray area- people who barely gave a damn on her and what she did. Those were the people who had more things in mind to busy themselves about Pansy's transgression. They included Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaw, surprisingly, another prominent name in that group was Hermione Granger, the Boy-Who-Lived-Twice's best friend and the _mudblood_ Princess. For that reason alone, Pansy was grateful to her in private.

Flicking yet another page, her ears perked up upon hearing the insistent tapping on the nearest charmed window to her. She fought the urge to groan loudly as she saw two other students occupying the room and looking at her curiously. Pansy frowned at them before putting a mark on her book, then stood up to open the window. It allowed the magnificent black eagle owl to enter and to perch itself at the arm of the couch she sat on a few moments ago. "What do you have here, little guy?" She cooed earning two identical curious looks from the other students. With a light nip on her finger, the Slytherin Princess successfully got the letter off the owl.

Written in legible and loopy pensmanship was a straightforward note.

_'Parkinson, _

_Please meet me at the library near the restricted section by tomorrow after dinner._

_-HG'_

Curious, Pansy tucked the parchment on her robe and reluctantly asked one younger student for a piece of parchment. A quick 'Yes' was then sent to the Gryffindor Princess.

Hermione paced at the place she had written on tha parchment to Pansy. She doubted her ability to speak to the girl who wanted her best friend given up to Voldemort. She had enough of indifference and resentment, she wanted peace. Hands crossed on her chest, the lioness continued her dizzying walk until she heard light shuffling on the floor. She let her hands down before looking at the newcomer.

Both ladies eyed each other the moment the snake rounded the corner. No one spoke for the first minute, until Pansy sighed bored. "What do you want Granger?" She asked flatly.

"Alliance." The brown-haired lady said, keeping her stance. She might be willing to be Parkinson's ally, but she certainly won't let her guard down. One skeptic eyebrow from the Slytherin raised and Hermione kept her straight face.

"For what?" The other girl asked, crossing her arms on her chest then leaning her back on the shelf. Pansy then looked at her nails, and Hermione resisted to groan or exclaim about her rudeness. She was asking for help and so she had to eat her pride.

"I'm tired of the professor's poor performance on campaigning for inter-house unity. I'm tired of having extremes in this school. I'm tired of us," Hermione pointed to herself and to the Slytherin, "being the center of attention. It wasn't fair, for you, and for me." She stopped, her voice soft yet firm. She wanted to get her point across and yet she didn't want Madam Pince to shoo her away. "Its all in the past and if people keep this kind of treatment, another war is bound to happen. Thus, I'm asking for your help. Without Malfoy and Harry in school, we're pretty much the bearers of our houses." Hermione halted daring the girl to argue.

When she didn't hear one, she inhaled before speaking. "So I'm suggesting that we get to be a model of inter-house unity. Not only it will represent our houses, but it will also represent our bloods. We're from different worlds, but we're still the same kind. We're humans. There's no light or dark now, and probably this will keep things in order for a longer time." Hermione looked at Pansy for any sort of reaction and she expected nothing more than she got.

"Give me a week. I'll think about it." Pansy replied, putting down her completely inspected hands. She glanced at the Gryffindor before turning her back to her, robe billowing behind her. Maybe Slytherins had a knack for those kind of robes, Hermione decided. She sighed for one last time, and she's ready to go.

Pansy never thought that Hermione Granger would ask for friendship. She certainly didn't strike Pansy like that. No, but the snake didn't expect anything less from her. It was very Gryffindor to think that way- the righteousness of inter-house unity. The other girl did impose many points. One, Pansy was tired of everything. She had thought that coming to Hogwarts again, she would regain stability and could bury past memories to make new ones. She thought she could make her own name away from Draco. And she was wrong. From the start of term, Pansy would always be the pug-faced clingy girlfriend of Draco Malfoy.

Second, without the original rivals, next to them was Granger and her. They pretty much became the leaders of their groups. Pansy leading the Slytherins and Granger the Gryffindors. The cunning and the brave. It was expected for them to be enemies since day one. But never did they wrong each other. If anything, the two of them ignored each other since first year.

Third, their open alliance would certainly prove more than what the professors did for the first three months of school. They were nearing the Yule, and the professors can't even change the fact that at every corner of this school, Gryffindors and Slytherin would fight with each other.

But what was in for her? Pansy was a true Slytherin. They never do anything without personal gain. When she think of it, everything was in there for her. One, she would have a friend. Something that never happened in her entire life. All she had were cronies. Second, people will see the good side of her. It will ruin the hate they feel when she wanted to give up Potter. Yes, befriending Granger would do her good.

Tearing off a piece of parchment, Pansy wrote in her elegant penmanship her answer to Granger. _Yes, Granger, I'll be your ally._

For the outside point of view, seeing the two princesses of the school reading and studying together could only mean two things. Either the world was coming to an end that they wanted to be kind to everyone so they will be saved, or they wanted to achieve something- something that from McGonagall to Trelawney wanted to achieve from the start of the term.

One Hufflepuff girl dared to interrupt the two princesses from their too happy conversation while walking from the library.

"Excuse me, Miss Granger." The girl said. Hermione looked at her curiously with a small smile on her face. Consequently, Pansy looked at the girl too. And what she had actually shocked the girl. Pansy was smiling too. Normally, the Slytherin princess would only sneer at them. But ever since the two started talking, they both of them were all smiles.

"Yes, how can I help you?" Hermione asked the girl tentatively. The girl wrung her hands nervously in front of her.

"I, I just want to a-ask you why a-are you w-with her?" the younger girl asked.

"Because we're friends." It was Pansy who answered. The girl's eyes widened. The answer she received was something everyone never expected. All of the students thought it was only for appearances. "It-its really true! You-you're really friends?" The girl asked once more in disbelief.

"Yes, Pansy here is not really bad once you talk to her." Hermione said smiling. Pansy rolled her eyes to her before speaking. "And you're not bad for a Gryffindor too, Granger." The two broke off in chuckles leaving the girl to watch them in awe. It must have been the end of the world. The two worlds just collided in from of her.

"Now, if you don't have any more questions, we shall excuse ourselves. You see, Granger wants to show me to the kitchen. You know, she's still into spew." Pansy said teasingly.

"That's S.P.E.W!" Hermione said indignantly. "Bye!" The Gryffindor said to the girl and the two were off to their way. The girl couldn't believe what she saw. The princesses were not fighting nor daring each other. They were bantering. Such thing that only friends could do without hurting each other deeply. The Hufflepuff girl turned around and ran. She ran towards the Student common room. The moment she entered the room, all stared at her silently. "Hermione Granger and Pansy Parkinson! They're really friends!" She exclaimed.

The student stared at each other, until one gasp. The boy was looking at the window. There at the grounds, Pansy and Hermione were laughing with each other instead of hexing each other which was what everyone expected. Now, this was unexpected. The United Front of Princesses reached every nook and cranny of the school, and even the _Daily Prophet_ next morning.


End file.
